Lock for baggage, etc.



Oct. 8, 1963 o. PAYOR ETAL LOCK FOR BAGGAGE, ETC.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16. 1960 RELEASE INV EN TORS F S F Y OM Om m Ma Wm P6 Rr AL Co mm M NH 0 Y B LOG Oct. 8, 1963 o. PAYOR EI'AL 3,105,082

LOCK FOR-BAGGAGE, ETC.

Filed May 16. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8 FIG. IO

FIG. ll

IN V EN TORS OSCAR PAYOR BY Alvaro Gom OFF ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,106,082 LGCK FGR BAGGAGE, ETC. Oscar Payer, 540 112th St, New York, N.Y., and Anatoly Gorlolf, 31 75th St, North Bergen, NJ. Filed May 16, 196i), Ser. No. 29,237 4 Claims. (Cl. 70-74) This invention relates to locks and, more particularly, to an operating mechanism therefor.

Ordinarily, in luggage type locks, it is necessary to use a key not only to unlock the assembly, but also to secure the device in a locked position. This is not only time consuming, but is often an inconvenience, such as during packing, checking of baggage, containers, brief cases, ladies handbags and the like. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an operating mechanism for luggage type locks which will provide for the locking of the assembly without the use of the key, while requiring the use of the key in order to move the parts to an unlocked position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an operating mechanism for luggage type locks of the type described which will allow the parts: to be rapidly placed in a locked condition whenever required simply by reverse movement of the manual release mechanism in an opposite direction to secure the pants in a locked arrangement without the use of the key which is used to unlock the assembly whenever required.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fast acting operating memanisrn for looks which will allow for the conventional use of such locks at all times, but which will always allow such locks to be rapidly moved to the locked position without the use of the key simply by a manual actuation of one of the accessible working parts thereof.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front plan view of a lock assembly made in accordance with the present invention in actual use;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the various parts of the assembly shown in FIG. 1, illustrating an operating mechanism made in accordance with one form of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the operating mechanism made in accordance with the form of the invention shown in FIG. 2 and in an assembled relationship, removed from the remaining lock structure, with the operating parts in a normally unlocked position, and with the latch bar in a securing position for engagement with a cooperating bail of an associated lock member;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the latch bar in a retracted position for allowing the withdrawal of the associated bail member;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the manner in which the parts are secured in a locked position by the use of an operating key;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the manner in which the parts are moved to the locked position by the actuation of the manual member also used to retract the latch bar from engagement with the bail;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a modified form of operating mechanism made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front plan view of the operating mechanism in an unlocked position with the latch bar in a position for secured engagement with a cooperating bail member;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, with the parts ad- Patented Get. 8, 19%3 mice 2 justed for the withdrawal of the latch bar from engagement with the bail member;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 8, showing the manner in which the locking parts are moved into the locking position with the latch plate by the use of a cooperating key; and

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 8, illustrating the manner in which the locking parts are moved into the locking position with the latch plate by the actuation of the manual member also used for the retraction of the latch bar from engagement with the bail member.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, a luggage type lock assembly 15 employing an operating mechanism made in (accordance with the present invention, is shown to include a face plate 16 having apertures 17 through which rivets 18 or other fasteners may be inserted for securing the assembly upon a case 19, or the like. The .face plate 16 includes a pair of lugs 20 which are turned inwardly to define an opening 22 into which a bail member 24 of a cooperating latch member 26 may be inserted. This latch member 26- is piuotally mounted by means of a hinge 28, in a conventional manner upon a base plate 30 which is similarly secured to the cover member 34 of the case, such as by rivets 3-2. Another log 36 of the face plate 16 is turned rearwardly to define an adjacent opening 38, for purposes hereinafter described.

With further reference now to FIGURES 3 to 6 of the drawing, an operating mechanism 40 made in accordance with one form of the present invention is shown to include a base plate 41 that forms a housing and which has a pair of wings 42 which are secured to the back of the face plate 16 by the first pair of lugs 20. The opposite end of the base 41 is provided with an aperture 44 into which the other lug 36 is inserted to secure the base in permanently assembled relationship with the face plate. The central portion of the base 41 is provided with an inwardly dimpled bearing 46 having a central opening within which -a nose of an operating key may be rotatably received for positioning the key for the locking and unlocking of the parts in a manner hereinafter more fully described. A latch plate 56, supported upon the interior of the base 41 for reciprocating longitudinal movement, has a central slot 48 which receives the bearing 46 and limits the reciprocating longitudinal movement of the latch plate between both extremities of movement. A tail portion 52 of the latch plate 50 is provided with a latch plate operator tab 54 that confronts the outside of a pair of abutment tabs 56 integral with the base 41. The opposite end of the latch plate 50 is provided with a latch bar 57 which is movable within an opening 58 in the end wall 59 of the base between a normally extended position in the path of movement of the bail 24 of the cooperating latch member, and a retracted position in which it permits the insertion and removal of the bail member that is extended into this area through the opening 22 in the face plate 16. A latch bar spring 69 acting at one end against the abutment tabs 56, has an opposite end 62 in abutment with a tab 64 of the latch plate 50 retractably to maintain the latch bar 57 within the defined area in the path of movement of the bail member 24.

A latch bar blocking spring 66 is slidably supported within the base 41 and has a terminal 68 at one end that normally engages the top of a stationary lug 72 of the base plate 41 with a detent 70 normally out of cooperating engagement with the lug 72. However, upon adjustment of the position of the latch bar blocking spring 66,

the detent 7 0 may be moved to an adjusted position against the stationary lug 72, in adjusted position, the bi-ght portion 73 of this latch bar blocking spring which encircles an anchor lug 96 of the latch plate 51 will prevent retraction of the latch plate and withdrawal of the latch bar 3 57 from bl cking engagement with the bail 24, as shown in FIGS. Sand 6.

It will be noted that in the normal position of the latch bar blocking spring 66, with the detent ill out of engagement with the stationary lug 72, that the bight portion 74 of the latch bar spring 69 is in confronting engagement with the lbight portion 73 of the latch bar blocking spring 66. A manually engageable member in the form of a slide button 7 S is provided with a pair of inwardly extending lugs as that are slidably received within the opening 33 in the face plate 16. These lugs 76 are received and Secured Within the openings 78 in the extension 80 of a latch plate and latch spring actuator 82. This actuator 82 is positioned between the latch plate operator tab 54 and the latch bar spring at so that upon movement of the manual member 75 in one direction toward the latch plate operator tab 54 it is operative to retract the latch bar. 57 from the path of movement of the bail member 24 against the action of the latch bar spring 66'. However, movement of the manual member '7 5 in a second opposite direction into abutment with the latch bar spring on is operative to move the latch bar spring 66 into abutting and displacing engagement with the latch bar blocking spring as sufficiently to allow the detent 76 to drop into engagement with the stationary lug 72, thus placing the parts in the locked position so that movement of the latch bar 57 out or" blocking engagement with the bail cannot be obtained until the latch bar blocking spring 66 is returned to its normal position.

A key plate 84- is provided with a central bulbous portion 86 that is rotatably received forwardly through an aperture 88 in the [face plate is which has a communicating radially extending key alignment slot 92 that coperates with the key slot 96 of the key plate 84. Thus, when a key is inserted into the aligned key and guide slots 90, 92, the innermost end of the key is rotatably received within the aperture of the bearing 46, while an intermediate portion of the key is received within a reen-trant portion 94 of the latch bar blocking spring 66. The reentrant portion 94 has adjacent angularly related surfaces 95a, b, one of which 95a is engaged by the key during rotation thereof in the direction shown by th arrow in FIG. to move the latch bar blocking spring 66 to the left in the direction indicated, thus bringing the detent 79 to cooperating engagement with the stationary lug 72., so as to lock the latch plate 50 and prevent retraction of the latch bar 57. With the parts in the locked position illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, whether so placed by the manipulation of the manual member 75 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 6 or notation of the key in the direction or the arrow shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to unlock the parts and to move the latch bar blocking spring 66 to its normal retracted position with the detent 70 out of cooperating engagement with the stationary lug 72 by inserting the key and rotating it in the opposite direction from that indicated in FIG. 5 so as to bring the intermediate portions thereof into engagement with the other surface 95b of the reentrant portion to lift the detent 70 from blocking engagement with the stationary lug 72 and to then displace the latch bar blocking spring so longitudinally of the base 41 to its initifl position shownin FIG. 3.

It will now be recognized that the parts may be moved to the locked position by actuation of the manual member 7 5 toward the direction of the slot 22 or by rotation of the key in the counter-clockwise direction, thus avoiding the necessity of having to use the key whenever the parts are to be placed in the locked position. Use of the key, however, is required in order to move the parts to the unlocked position regardless of how they are initially locked.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 7 to 11 of the drawing which illustrate a modified form of operating mechanism 1%. This assembly may be used with a similar face plate 16 and cooperating bail 24 and latch member 26 of the type hereinbefore described. However, while this assembly includes a base ffil that has substantially the same characteristics as the base plate 41 hereinbcfore described, it utilizes a different arrangement of a latch plate and latch plate operator for accomplishing substantially the same results.

A latch plate 164 having a latch bar 165 at one end is provided with a pair of spaced apart parallel arms 106 that terminate at their opposite ends in a pair of tabs, one of which 1'38 serves as a latch plate operator tab, and the other one of which 1.69 serves as an anchor lug for purposes hereinafter more fully described. These tabs K08, E69 confront a pair of abutment tabs lit) adjacent to one of the base 1%, whereas the latch bar is movable through an opening 113 in the end wall 114 at the opposite end of the base ltll and into an area defined by an opening Elli into which the cooperating bail member 24 is receive The latch bar spring 115 seated at one end against the abutment tabs lllti of the base 1491, has a terminal 116 at the opposite end in abutment with the latch plate operator tab 163 so as retractably to urge the latch bar Hi5 into the opening 111. A latch bar blocking spring 118 slidably mounted within the base 191 for limited reciprocating movement, has a terminal 119 at one end with a formed detent 12$ normally overlying a stationary lug 124 formed adjacent to the opening 122 in the base 161. The bight 126 of the latch bar blocking spring 118 is normally adjacent to the bight 128 of the latch bar spring 115.

A latch plate operator 130 having a central slot 131 eceiving the bearing 162 therewithin, has an oilset extension 152: adjacent to the recess 133 of the base 101 that has a pair of slots 134 which receive the lugs 76 of the manual button member 75. This extension 132 is offset from the general plane of the latch plate operator 136 by a web 136.

The latch plate operator 13%) has a pair of shoulders 138 which engage with the tabs 138, N39 to retract the latch bar ill-5 in response to movement of the latch plate operator 13% by the manual member 75 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 9. The latch plate operator 130 is also provided with a latch spring actuator tab Mt which abuts the facing side of the detent lZtl and which is movable through the space 142 in the stationary lug 124 to move the detent 12% into engagement with the stationary tab 124 in response to movement of the latch plate operator 13% by the manual member 75 in the direction of the arrow shown in FEG. 11. When so moved, the bight 126 of the latch bar blocking spring 118 is moved into blocking engagement with the abutment tab 109 that serves as an anchor lug to prevent retraction of the latch plate 1&4 and latch bar 1% until the detent is disengaged from the stationary lug 124. Such disengagement may be achieved by the use of a key inserted into the assembly in the manner hereinbefore described, so that an intermediate portion thereof is received Within a reentrant portion 144 of the latch bar blocking spring 113 whereby upon rotation in a clockwise direction it will engage one surface 146]: of a pair of angularly related surfaces 146a, 2146b on opposite sides of the reentrant portion 14-4 to raise the detent 120 out of engagement with the stationary lug 12.4 and to allow it to be Withdrawn to the normal position illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9. In this position, the bight 126 of the blocking spring 118 is moved to a spaced relationship with the anchor lug tab 59 to allow retraction of the latch plate 104 and latch bar 1%. It will thus be recognized that while the assembly may be unlocked only by the use of a key, such may be moved into the locked position either by rotation of the key in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in FIG. 10, wherein it engages the surface 146a of the reentrant portion 144, or by simply moving the manual member 75 and its connected latch plate operator 139 in the direction of the arrow as shown in PEG. 11.

In accordance with both embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to lock the parts by the use of a 1 key, or by manual movement of the manual member toward the bail member in the manner described, While unlocking thereof may be achieved only by the use of a key, thus reducing the amount of time and eifort required to lock the parts during use.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in thedrawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An operating mechanism for a reciprocating latch bar comprising, in combination, a base plate having an area at one end for receiving a cooperating latch member, a latch plate having a latch bar supported upon said base plate for movement into said area, a latch bar spring normally retractably maintaining'said latchbar within said area, a manually engageable member carried by said base plate coupled to said latch plate and movable in a first direction to retract said latch bar from said area against said latch bar spring, blocking means carried by said base plate adjustable between a first position allowing retraction of said latch bar by said manually engageable member and a second position blocking retraction of said latch bar, key operable means for selectively adjusting said locking means for movement into and out of said first and second positions, and an actuator acting between said manually engageable member and said blocking means shifting said blocking means into said second position from said first position independently of said key operable means in response to movement of said manually engageable member in a second direction, said blocking means comprising a stationary lug, an anchor lug carried by said latch plate, a lock spring member having an abutment at one end normally spaced from said anchor lug to allow movement of said latch plate in said one direction, a terminal at the opposite end of said lock spring member normally overlying said stationary lug, said lock spring member having a detent intermediate said ends, said actuator shifting said lock spring member to engage said detent with said stationary lug to close the space between said abutment and said anchor lug to prevent retraction of said latch bar, and said latch plate including a latch-plate-operator plate for retracting said latch bar in response to movement of said manually engageable member in said one direction and movable freely to said latch plate in said second direction, and said actuator including a tab mounted upon said operator in abutment With said detent in response to movement of said actuator in said second direction for engaging said detent with said stationary lug.

2. An operating mechanism for a reciprocating latch bar as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lock spring member further comprises reaction means engageable by said key operated means to selectively shift said lock spring member to move said detent between an engaged and a disengaged position relative to'said stationary lug and independently of said actuator,-

3. An operating mechanism for a reciprocating latch bar as set forth in claim 1, wherein said latch plate includes a latch plate operator tab spaced from said latch bar in said one direction, said latch bar spring being movable in said second direction to contact with said abutment of said lock spring member to shift said detent into engagement with, saidstationary lug, said actuator lying between and being movable into engagement with one of said operator tab and said latch bar spring, whereby movement of said manually engageable member in said one direction retracts said latch bar and movement of said manually engageable member in said second direction toward said latch spring member shifts said detent of said latch spring member into said latched engagement with said stationary lug.

4. A locking device comprising a base plate having an opening'for receiving a latch bail, a latch plate having a cutout therein slidably supoprted on said base plate having a latch bar positionable in said base plate opening, a bearing secured to said base plate, a latch bar spring movably positioned between said base plate and said latch plate, a latch bar blocking spring slidably supported on said latch plate, said latch bar spring being adapted to communicate with said blocking spring, said blocking spring being adapted to engage a portion of said base plate in its travel path for blocking the movement of said latch plate, a latch plate operator having an opening therein to receive said bearing, said latch plate operator being received in said latch plate cutout and slidably mounted on said base plate, a pair of shoulders on said latch plate operator adapted to engage a portion of said latch plate for moving said latch plate, a manually engageable member secured to said latch plate operator for moving said latch plate operator, in one direction of movement said latch plate operator engages said latch plate and said latch plate bar is adapted to be released from said base plate opening, in another direction of movement said latch plate operator is adapted to move said blocking spring into engagement with said base plate portion, a key plate secured in an opening in a face plate, said face plate being seoured to said base plate, said key plate having a key slot therein, said bearing having a key slot therein, said key slots being adpted to receive a key therein with a portion of the key in contact with said blocking spring, said blocking spring being movable into and out of engagement with said base plate portion by the movement of the key in said key slots, whereby the latch bail is releasable from said base plate opening when said latch plate operator is moved in said one direction and said latch bail is retained insaid opening when said latch plate operator is blocked.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 822,621 France Sept. 27, 1937 694,233- Germany July 27, 1940 26,962 Great Britain 19l2 599,584 Great Britain Mar. 16, 1948 

1. AN OPERATING MECHANISM FOR A RECIPROCATING LATCH BAR COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BASE PLATE HAVING AN AREA AT ONE END FOR RECEIVING A COOPERATING LATCH MEMBER, A LATCH PLATE HAVING A LATCH BAR SUPPORTED UPON SAID SAID PLATE FOR MOVEMENT INTO SAID AREA, A LATCH BAR SPRING NORMALLY RETRACTABLY MAINTAINING SAID LATCH BAR WITHIN SAID AREA, A MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID BASE PLATE COUPLED TO SAID LATCH PLATE AND MOVABLE IN A FIRST DIRECTION TO RETRACT SAID LATCH BAR FROM SAID AREA AGAINST SAID LATCH BAR SPRING, BLOCKING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BASE PLATE ADJUSTABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION ALLOWING RETRACTION OF SAID LATCH BAR BY SAID MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE MEMBER AND A SECOND POSITION BLOCKING RETRACTION OF SAID LATCH BAR, KEY OPERABLE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ADJUSTING SAID LOCKING MEANS FOR MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, AND AN ACTUATOR ACTING BETWEEN SAID MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE MEMBER AND SAID BLOCKING MEANS SHAFTING SAID BLOCKING MEANS INTO SAID SECOND POSITION FROM SAID FIRST POSITION INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID KEY OPERABLE MEANS IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE MEMBER IN A SECOND DIRECTION, SAID BLOCKING MEANS COMPRISING A STATIONARY LUG, AN ACTUATOR LUG CARRIED BY SAID LATCH PLATE, A LOCK SPRING MEMBER HAVING AN ABUTMENT AT ONE END NORMALLY SPACED FROM SAID ANCHOR LUG TO ALLOW MOVEMENT OF SAID LATCH PLATE IN SAID ONE DIRECTION, A TERMINAL AT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID LOCK SPRING MEMBER NORMALLY OVERLYING SAID STATIONARY LUG, SAID LOCK SPRING MEMBER HAVING A DETENT INTERMEDIATE SAID ENDS, SAID ACTUATOR SHIFTING SAID LOCK SPRING MEMBER TO ENGAGE SAID DETENT WITH SAID STATIONARY LUG TO CLOSE THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID ABUTMENT AND SAID ANCHOR LUG TO PREVENT RETRACTION OF SAID LATCH BAR, AND SAID LATCH PLATE INCLUDING A LATCH-PLATE-OPERATOR PLATE FOR RETRACTING SAID LATCH BAR IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID MANUALLY ENGAGEABLE MEMBER IN SAID ONE DIRECTION AND MOVABLE FREELY TO SAID LATCH PLATE IN SAID SECOND DIRECTION, AND SAID ACTUATOR INCLUDING A TAB MOUNTED UPON SAID OPERATOR IN ABUTMENT WITH SAID DETENT IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATOR IN SAID SECOND DIRECTION FOR ENGAGING SAID DETENT WITH SAID STATIONARY LUG. 